Week 13 AP Top 25 a good sign for Oklahoma in next CFP rankings

Although both major national polls become irrelevant during the season once the College Football Playoff rankings start rolling out, they're at least a preview of what could be coming for fans on Tuesday evening.

The Oklahoma Sooners soared in both major polls to become a consensus top-10 team after upsetting then-No. 4 Alabama 23-21 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. A day after the upset, the Associated Press Top 25 bumped the Sooners up three spots from 11th to No. 8 on Sunday, while OU went from No. 10 to No. 8 in the Coaches Poll.

Sooners soar in new AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll

Although the AP Top 25 or Coaches Poll aren't supposed to influence the rankings that the CFP committee assembles, they likely do, and at the least, unveil the national perspective for teams outside of their own fan base and local media.

Around Oklahoma, it seems obvious the Sooners should be ahead of Notre Dame and Alabama in any set of rankings, but some college football experts argue against both instances despite OU just beating the Crimson Tide head-to-head. However, with national media voting on the AP Top 25, those newest rankings prove the majority thinks differently.

Alabama dropped six spots in both polls to No. 10. Notre Dame handled Pitt on Saturday, but it's clear the nation thinks the Sooners' win was much more impressive with OU jumping No. 9 Notre Dame in both set of rankings.

This is an indication that come Tuesday, the Sooners should also be ahead of both teams in the CFP rankings, and if not, there's plenty of reason for an outcry.

With two weaker conference champions still eventually getting into the 12-team field, that means only 10 spots are actually up for grabs based on real rankings, which is why two spots could be vital for the Sooners.

At No. 8, the Sooners are firmly in the CFP and even projected to host a first-round game in Norman. But if the committee does ignore what national media and coaches are saying, and favor Notre Dame and Alabama, then the Sooners will still be in a position of fighting for a seat at the table or hitting the road in the postseason. However, the newest rankings foreshadow a happy Tuesday evening for Sooner Nation.